2025-2026 Internal Funding Program for Research and Creative Scholarship - Call for Proposals

Purpose

In alignment with the university’s objective to enhance external research funding, the CIC has prioritized increasing external research awards. This round of the CIC internal funding program aims to boost the submission and success of external grant proposals by CIC faculty.

To apply for this round of the CIC internal funding, faculty must identify an external grant with a total amount of at least $100,000 and a submission deadline at least three months after the start date of this CIC internal grant (within this one-year funding circle).  The CIC will provide seed money to selected teams to collect pilot data for the external grant proposals. If the external grant is awarded, the team will receive additional research incentives.

Student applicants must collaborate with at least one faculty member from another school within the CIC. For instance, iSchool doctoral students are expected to work with SJMC faculty, and SJMC doctoral students are expected to work with iSchool faculty.

Tracks

Two types of grants are offered:

• Track I Faculty Grant: Up to $3,000 seed money will be awarded to a faculty-led project for collecting pilot data. Half of the seed money will be provided immediately after the award announcement, and the remaining half will be awarded upon submission of the external grant proposal. If the external grant proposal is awarded, the team will receive another $3,000 of research incentives.
• Track II Student Grant: Up to $500 will be awarded to a doctoral student-led project.

Eligibility

• All full-time faculty from the CIC are eligible to apply for Track I Faculty Grants. All full-time Ph.D. students from the CIC are eligible to apply for Track II Student Grants.
• Awarded principal investigators of the last CIC Internal Funding Program (2024-2025) are not eligible to apply for this round of internal grant.
• Previously awarded principal investigators will not be eligible to apply until they finish their projects, unless they get approval from Associate Dean for Research.
• Proposals that are currently under review by external funding sources are not eligible for this program.
• Proposals developed out of the Propel Research Mentorship Program are not eligible for this program.

Funding

Up to 4 awards will be provided to each track. The college reserves the right not to offer funding if meritorious proposals are not identified.

• Allowable costs: Research participants compensation, travel essential to conduct the project, project supplies, salary and fringe for student assistants (only for Track I Grants).
• Unallowable costs: Faculty salary; conference travels; doctoral student salary for Track II Grants.

Proposals

Develop a three-page proposal (12-point font, single spaced, and 1-inch margins) that include the followings:

1. Introduction and objectives
2. Significance
3. Study design and method
4. Expected outcomes
5. External funding source: What is the external funding source you aim for? How does your proposed research meet the aims and goals of the external funding source? What effort to make to meet the external grant submission deadline
6. References

In addition to the three-page proposal, the follow documents are needed:

1. Budget and budget justification (for the seed money, up to $3,000)
2. Timeline (two parts: collecting pilot data, and writing and submitting external grant proposals)
3. Biosketch (either NIH or NSF format) for all team members
4. Current and pending support for all team members

Timeline & Others

Announcement Release Date: March 5, 2025

Application Receipt Date: May 16, 2025

Estimated Award Announcement Date: July 11, 2025

Estimated Start of This Funding Circle July 15, 2025

Proposals will be accepted through May 16, 2025. Please send submissions electronically to the Associate Dean for Research, Linwan Wu (linwanwu@mailbox.sc.edu). Please use “2025-2026 CIC Internal Grant Application” as the submission email subject.

Proposals will be reviewed by the Associate Dean for Research and faculty members of the Research and Scholarship Advisory Council or other CIC or external faculty invited to provide expertise in the proposed research and creative area. The funding decisions are anticipated by the middle of July, 2025. External grant proposals are expected to be submitted within one year of the award announcement date.

Progress reports will be required during the funding cycle. Funding recipients will be asked to present their progress at least once during or at the end of the funding cycle. Funded teams should acknowledge the source of funding in all publications and presentations resulting from the work.

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See all previous recipients of the CIC Grant